Damper-regulator.



H. M. BROWNB. DAMPER REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I 1907.

PATENTED APR. 28, 1908.

HUGH M. BROWNE, OF GHEYNEY, PENNSYLVANIA.

DAMPER-REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented April 28, 1908.

Application filed July 1, 1907. Serial No. 381,727.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH M. BROWNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cheyney, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Im rovements in Damper-Regulators, of whic the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism for regulating the positions of the dampers of a furnace in order to regulate the draft of the furnace.

One object of the invention is to provide reliable means for positively moving and regulating the dam ers, together with means for controlling sai first named means from a distance, which controlling means shall be of such a character as will enable the same to be placed in a parlor or other room of a house without inconvenience, whereby the dampers of the furnace, and accordingly the draft, may be regulated and controlled at will from a point remote from the furnace such as a floor above the basement or other point at which the furnace is located.

A further object of my invention is to provide, at or near the point at Which the aforesaid controlling means is located, a suitable indicating or signaling device which shall indicate to the operator the position of the damper regulating means and consequently the position of the dampers themselves.

To these ends my invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts as hereinafter described and particuarly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which show one construction in which my invention maybe embodied-Figure 1 is a diagram- .matic view of my improved apparatus, and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the controlling device and indicator.

The furnace 12 may be of any well-known or usual construction and is rovided with the usual front damper 13 ancFback damper 14, the respective offices of which dampers will be at once understood b those familiar with the art. To the front amper 13 is attached a cord, Wire, or other suitable flexible connecting device 15, passing over pulleys 16 and 17, and connected at its other end to a movable member 18 of a motor or regulating device, indicated generically by the numeral 19. The movable member 18 is connected, by means of a second cord or wire 20, passing over pulleys 21, 21, with the back damper 14.

It will be obvious that movement of the member 18 in one direction will open the damper 13 and close the damper 14, while movement thereof in the opposite direction will close the damper 13 and open the damper 14.

The regulating device 19 is preferably in the form of an hydraulic motor comprising a cylinder 22, containing a piston 23, provided with a suitable piston rod 24, carrying at its outer end the member 18. Service pipes and 26, respectively, communicate with the opposite ends of the cylinder 22, and are a apted to be placed alternately in communication with a supply or pressure pipe 27 and an exhaust pipe 28 by means of a suitable fourway controlling valve 29. This valve may be of any suitable construction, but preferably is rovided with two passages 30 and 31. Wit the valve in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the ipe 26 will be in communication, through t e passage 30, with the exhaust pipe 28, while the pipe 25 is in communication, through the passage 31, with the supply pipe 27 thusad- 'mitting fluid under pressure to the lower side of the piston 23 and causing the same to rise. Itwill be obvious that a quarter turn of the valve 29, from the position shown, will cause a downward movement of the piston 23. The supply or pressure pipe 27 may be connected with any source of hydraulic pressure, referably with the source of water supply or the building in which the system is lo cated, and the necessary power for manipulating the dampers 13 and 14 will thus be always available immediately upon the turning of the valve 29.

Suitable manually controlled means will preferably be provided for operating the valve 29. Such means as herein shown are as follows: A casing 32 is placed at any conveniently accessible point more or less remote from the furnace and motor, preferably in the room above that in which the furnace and motor are located. Within the casing 32 is fulcruined a three-armed lever 33, having a handle portion 34, which extends through a slot in the casing 32 to the exterior thereof, and two downwardly extending arms 35, 35. Attached to the arms 35 is a wire or cord 36 which passes downwardly through a suitable guide tube 37, and thence around a pulley 38, fast on the stem of the valve 29. It will now be obvious that a movement of the handle 34 to the right orleft will cause a corresponding movement. of

the valve 29, which will be followed by a movement of the piston 23 and a consequent change in the position of the dampers l3 .and 14.

It will be noted that the function of the .mechanism in the casing 32 is merely to turn this mechanism may, if desired, be dispensed with, and the valve 29 itself placed in a con veniently accessible position in any room in the building, the pipes 25, 26 27 and 28 being, of course, correspondinglyextended.

As heretofore mentioned, an indicating or signaling device is provided for indicating the position of the motor 19 -and consequently of the dampers 13 and 14.. A pulley 39, provided with a pointer 40, adapted to cooperate with a su table dial 41, is journaled, preferably in the casing 32, but free to turn entirely independently of the lever 33. A cord or Wire 42 passes over this pulley, thence through the guide tube 3'2, .and, if necessary,.over suitable pulleys 43 and is connected at its ends to a movable part of the motor 19, preferably the member 18, in

such a'mamier that movement of the said movable part in either direction causes a corresponding movement of pulley 39 and pointer 40. It will be noted that this signaling mechanism is entirely independent of the valve 29 and its operating mechanism. Conseqently if, 'for any reason, the motor 19 fails to respond to the movement I of the handle 34, such a factwill be instantly indicated by ,a failure of the pointer 40 to move, and the actual positions of the dampers 13 and 14 will be correctly indicated upon the dial 41 irrespective of' the position of the handle 34. I

Where my apparatus is em nection with a steam heating 19 may, if desired, be operated by steam from the boiler of the heater. I prefer, however, to operate the said motor from some external source of power, as by constructing the same as a hydraulic motor and connectm itwith the source of water supply for the building in which the apparatus 18 located, as described,

loyed in conant the motor for the reason that the said -motor will thenbe operative under all circumstances and entirely independent of the resence orabsence of steam pressure in the oiler.

As shown 'in the drawings, the length ofthe cords or wires 15 and 20 are such that the movements of the two dampers 13" and 14 traveling over the fluidwill be simultaneous. If desired, however, these cords may be lengthened somewhat, thereby providing for a certain slack or lost motion between these cords and the'member 18 as said member approaches the limit of its movement in either direction, whereby the damper 14 may be fully closed before the damper 13 commences to open and vice versa. It will be obvious that the piston 23 may be stopped at any point in its travel from one end of the cylinder 22 to the other by giving the valve 29 a one eighth turn from the position shown in the drawings, thereby putting the pipes 25 and 26 out'of all communication with the pipes 27 and 28, and effectively locking the piston 23 in the position in which it is stopped. It will now be seen that, with the arrangement of the cords 15 and-20 last described, the draft of'the'furnace may be set for any amount, from-the minimum, when the damper 14 is wide open and the damper 13 closed, to the maximum when the damper 13 is wide open and the damper 14 closed, and that the exact position of these dampers may be indi cated by the pointer 40 upon the dial 41.

I claim 1. In a draft rcgulating'apparatus, the combination with the dampers of a furnace, of a plurality of pulleys, flexible. means ulleys and connecting with the dampers flir regulating the posi tions thereof, a fluid-pressure operated means for operating said flexible means, means for controlling the operation of said ressure operated means, a lever and flexib e connections between said controlling-hrpeans and lever for actuating the contro (g'means when the lever is shifted, and

n in icatiug device connected with said fluid-pressure regulating means for indicating the positions of the dampers.

2. In, a draft regulating apparatus, the combination with the-dampers-of a furnace, of a plurality of pulleys, flexiblemeans traveling over the pulleys and connecting with the dampers for regulating the positions thereof, a fluid-pressure operated means for operating said flexible means, means for controlling the operation of said fluid-pres- 5 sure operated means, a lever and flexible connections between said controlling means and lever for actuating the controlli means when the lever is shifted, an indicator device for indicating the, positions of the dampers, and a flexible connection between said indicator device and said fluid-pressure operated, means for operating said indicator w on said means is actuated.

3. In a draft regulating apparatus, the combination with the dampers of a furnace,

" of a plurality oflpulleys, flexible means travder, means for supp ying fluid under tion between said indicator and said member for operating the indicator when the member is actuated.

pressure to each end of said cylinder, a reciprocatory member extending in said cylinder and operated in either direction by fluid pressure, said reciprocatory member con- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set nected with said flexible means and adapted my hand in presence of two subscribing Wit- 15 to operate the same, a valvular element for nesses. controlling the supply of-fiuid to said cylin- HUGH M. BROWNE. der, means for'actuating said valvular ele- Witnesses:

l ment, an indicator for lndicatmg the posii WM. J. DIOKSON, 10 tlons of the dampers, and a flexible connec- 1 THOS. I. DICKSON; 

